Finger ring pencil holder



Oct. 27, 1964 E. STRANGE FINGER RING PENCIL HOLDER Filed May 1, 1961 INVENTOR. EfiWlZD STPI/YGE' United States Patent 3,154,056 FINGER RING PENCIL HOLDER Edward Strange, 33 Dater Ave., Saddle River, NJ. Filed May 1, 1961, Ser. No. 106,771 3 Claims. (Cl. 120-106) This invention relates to pencil holders, and more particularly to a finger ring pencil holder.

The operator of a keyboard device, typically small business machines such as an adding machine, a calculator, a bookkeeping machine, etc., frequently types numbers by depressing keys while looking at a cashbook or a ledger or the like, and then pencil checks the items from time to time as they are copied on the machine. Usually a pencil is left at the ledger, and must be picked up and put down each time a check is made, resulting in considerable loss of time. The pencil may roll away, with further lost motion and time.

The general object of the present invention is to overcome the foregoing difficulty, and to provide a pencil holder which keeps the pencil immediately and readily available in the hand of the operator, but without interfering with the keyboard operation.

T o accomplish the foregoing general object, and other more specific objects which will hereinafter appear, the invention resides in the finger ring pencil holder and the elements thereof as are hereinafter more particularly described in the following specification. The specification is accompanied by a drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the position of the pencil during keyboard operation;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the position of the pencil when writing;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a finger ring pencil holder embodying features of my invention;

FIG. 4 is a section taken approximately in the plane of the line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a plan view.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, the pencil holder comprises a finger ring 12 designed for use on the index finger, and having a loop 14 of helical spring wire secured to the bottom of the ring. This loop normally lies in a plane generally parallel to the bottom of the ring and offset to the right, as is best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The loop 14 is circumferentially expandable to receive and frictionally hold a pencil slid therethrough, as indicated by the pencil 16 in FIGS. 1, 2, and 5. Because the loop tends to turn the right end of the pencil upward, the pencil normally underlies the hand, as shown in FIG. 1, but it is readily turned to the writing position shown in FIG. 2 by temposary yielding of the spring loop. When the hand returns from writing position to keyboard operation, the pencil instantly and automatically flips back from the position shown in FIG. 2 to that shown in FIG. 1, without any attention to the matter on the part of the operator.

The change from FIG. 1 to FIG. 2 requires manipulation of the pencil, but is surprisingly quick and easy, largely because a slight upward flick by the thumb turns the point of the pencil downward into writing position, and the fingers readily close on the pencil near the pointed end thereof.

Considering the construction in greater detail, the finger ring 12 preferably has a lateral extension 18 at the bottom, this extending rearward, that is, toward the wrist. The loop of helical spring wire is preferably a standard pull spring of small size, with the usual eyes at the ends. These eyes are in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spring. A rivet or eyelet 20 passes through both eyes and through a small hole in the lateral extension ice 18. This hole is preferably offset somewhat toward the left side of the extension, as shown in FIG. 5.

Because the rivet passes through eyes which lie in the plane of the loop, the loop remains approximately parallel to the extension 18. At the time of the riveting operation the loop is positioned to the right of the rivet, when looking from above, as shown in FIG. 5, and the rivet is tight enough to hold the loop in this desired position. When a pencil is slid through the loop, which is done with the point going from left to right, the pencil itself serves to turn the loop from the normally approximately horizontal position shown in solid lines at 14 in FIG. 5, to a vertical position shown in broken lines at 14. It is the tendency of the loop to return to the horizontal position 14 that holds the pencil lightly upward against the bottom of the hand, as shown in FIG. 1, and as also shown in broken lines at 16' in FIG. 5.

The ring is preferably split at the top as shown at 22, thus making its size adjustable to fit the index finger of the wearer, it being understood that the material of the ring is bendable under hand pressure.

The spring may be so positioned that the pencil extends directly to the right, as indicated by the broken line 30 in FIG. 5, which line is at right angles to the axis of the index finger suggested in broken lines at F. The pencil may be turned somewhat clockwise to a position as shown in broken lines at 16'. This is a desirable position because in the usual hand the junctions of the fingers with the palm of the hand are on a line which slopes somewhat rearward or toward the wrist. Differently expressed, the pencil may underlie the knuckles.

However, the device operates well over a range of angle, and the pencil may extend at a greater angle rearward, as shown by the broken line 32, or at an angle forward, as shown by the broken line 34. I believe the rearward slope suggested by line 32 should not exceed 30 degrees from the perpendicular position shown by line 30, and that the forward slope suggested by line 34 preferably should not exceed 5 degrees beyond the perpendicular position shown by line 30. The rearward position is favored because of the angle of the knuckles, as mentioned above, but an excessive rearward angle places the left end of the pencil out of easy reach of the thumb, so that the pencil is not as easily flipped into writing position. A forward angle of the pencil is limited because the pencil should not interfere with the free typing action of the fingers against the keys of the machine.

The rearward extension 18 of the ring is employed for much the same reason, that is, to keep the position of the pencil rearward or behind the finger joints, where there will be no interference with easy rapid typing movement by the fingers.

It is believed that the construction and method of use of my improved finger ring pencil holder, as well as the advantages thereof, will be apparent from the foregoing detailed description. It will be understood that the relation of the parts may be reversed in a ring intended for left hand operation. It will also be apparent that while I have shown and described the invention in a preferred form, changes may be made in the structure shown without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought to be defined in the following claims. In the claims the reference to the spring being disposed to the right of the rivet is intended for normal right-hand use, and is not intended to exclude disposition to the left of the rivet for a left-handed person.

I claim:

1. A pencil holder for use while operating a keyboard, said holder comprising a finger ring designed for use on the index finger and having a lateral extension which is placed at the bottom of the ring and extending rearward when the ring is worn, a loop of helical spring wire the ends of which are secured to said extension by fastener means at the ends of the loop, said loop when empty lying in a plane approximately parallel to the extension and disposed toward the right of said extension, said loop being dimensionedto receive and frictionally hold a pencil passed therethrough, whereby said pencil normally assumes a rest position in which it underlies the hand in a direction transverse to the lengthwise direction of the fingers without interfering with keyboard operation, the spring then being bent about its ends from a generally horizontal to a generally vertical plane by the pencil, and said spring by its return force then serving to hold the writing end of the pencil upward in its rest position against the bottom of the hand, but said spring being readily turned to writing position by temporary yielding of the spring loop to a plane generally parallel to the plane of the ring, the pencil when released springing back instantly to its rest position beneath the hand.

2. A pencil holder for use while operating a keyboard, said holder comprising a finger ring designed for use on the index finger and having a lateral extension which is placed at the bottom of the ring and extending rearward when the ring is worn, a loop of helical spring wire the ends of which have eyes which are riveted to said extension, said loop when empty lying in a plane approximately parallel to the extension and disposed toward the right of said extension, said loop being dimensioned to receive and frictionally hold a pencil passed therethrough, whereby said pencil normally assumes a rest position in which it underlies the hand in a direction transverse to the lengthwise direction of the fingers without interfering with keyboard operation, the spring then being bent about its ends from a generally horizontal to a generally vertical plane by the pencil, and said spring by its return force then serving to hold the writing end of the pencil upward in its rest position against the bottom of the hand, but said spring being readily turned to writing position by temporary yielding of the spring loop to a plane generally parallel to the plane of the ring, the pencil when released springing back'instantly to its rest position beneath the hand.

3. A pencil holder for use while operating a keyboard, said holder comprising a finger ring designed for use on the index finger and having a lateral extension which is placed at the bottom of the ring and extending rearward when the ring is worn, a loop of helical spring wire the ends of which have eyes which are riveted to said extension, said loop when empty lying in a plane approximately parallel to the extension and disposed toward the right of said extension, said loop being dimensioned to receive and frictionally hold a pencil passed therethrough, whereby said pencil normally assumes a rest position in which it underlies the hand in a direction transverse to the lengthwise direction of the fingers without interfering with keyboard operation, the spring then being bent about its ends from a generally horizontal to a generally vertical plane by the pencil, and said spring by its return force then serving to hold the Writing end of the pencil upward in its rest position against the bottom of the hand, but said spring being readily turned to writing position by temporary yielding of the spring loop to a plane generally parallel to the plane of the ring, the pencil when released springing back instantly to its rest position beneath the hand, said ring being split at the top and being bendable for adjustment of size to fit the index finger of the wearer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 343,391 Peiter June 8, 1886 1,032,401 Hager July 16, 1912 1,879,489 Ray Sept. 27, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 316,851 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1929 

1. A PENCIL HOLDER FOR USE WHILE OPERATING A KEYBOARD, SAID HOLDER COMPRISING A FINGER RING DESIGNED FOR USE ON THE INDEX FINGER AND HAVING A LATERAL EXTENSION WHICH IS PLACED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RING AND EXTENDING REARWARD WHEN THE RING IS WORN, A LOOP OF HELICAL SPRING WIRE THE ENDS OF WHICH ARE SECURED TO SAID EXTENSION BY FASTENER MEANS AT THE ENDS OF THE LOOP, SAID LOOP WHEN EMPTY LYING IN A PLANE APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL TO THE EXTENSION AND DISPOSED TOWARD THE RIGHT OF SAID EXTENSION, SAID LOOP BEING DIMENSIONED TO RECEIVE AND FRICTIONALLY HOLD A PENCIL PASSED THERETHROUGH, WHEREBY SAID PENCIL NORMALLY ASSUMES A REST POSITION IN WHICH IT UNDERLIES THE HAND IN A DIRECTION TRANSVERSE TO THE LENGTHWISE DIRECTION OF THE FINGERS WITHOUT INTERFERING WITH KEYBOARD OPERATION, THE SPRING THEN BEING BENT ABOUT ITS ENDS FROM A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL TO A GENERALLY VERTICAL PLANE BY THE PENCIL, AND SAID SPRING BY ITS RETURN FORCE THEN SERVING TO HOLD THE WRITING END OF THE PENCIL UPWARD IN ITS REST POSITION AGAINST THE BOTTOM OF THE HAND, BUT SAID SPRING BEING READILY TURNED TO WRITING POSITION BY TEMPORARY YIELDING OF THE SPRING LOOP TO A PLANE GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF THE RING, THE PENCIL WHEN RELEASED SPRINGING BACK INSTANTLY TO ITS REST POSITION BENEATH THE HAND. 